


The Dragons of Emprise du Lion

by CaptainDemetrios



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Canon Compliant, Canon Universe, Dragons, M/M, how many different ways can i say dorian/arik in the tags
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-07
Updated: 2016-08-07
Packaged: 2018-08-07 06:43:15
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,021
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7704424
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CaptainDemetrios/pseuds/CaptainDemetrios
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Arik lays in bed recovering from his battle against the three dragons in Emprise du Lion, recalling the worst parts of his fights.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Dragons of Emprise du Lion

Though Arik was sure Varric would tell the story of the battles with the three dragons of Emprise du Lion in a way that made the Inquisitor sound brave, strong and unstoppable, Arik did not remember it that way. In truth, Arik barely remembered it at all. 

 

He remembered the first two well enough. It was cold, but Arik still had his humor about him. He looked up at the ruins of a spire and commented how it must have looked beautiful in it’s day. Cassandra rolled her eyes and Dorian chuckled, Solas urged them onward. Arik led the way up the stairs, the dragon roared above them.

 

It was cold. Arik remembered that most. 

 

The first dragon wasnt too bad. It wasn’t easy, by any means, but they survived with only a few scrapes. Arik dived out of the way of a blast of ice, Dorian diving in the opposite direction. 

Arik got too close to the chilled dragon, and his feet froze along with half the pond. 

Cassandra covered him with her shield as the dragon let out another blast. Arik grabbed her and Fade Sprint out of the water. 

 

Dorian brought fire to his hands and put them over Arik’s ears. 

“I told you it would be freezing out here! You should have brought warmer clothes.” He chided.

Arik put his hands over Dorian’s heated ones. “I’ll be fine. We just need to keep moving. There’s still two dragons left.”

“If the dragons don’t kill us, the frostbite will” Dorian complained. 

 

They continued on. 

 

The second dragon was harder, but not impossible. Solas took a tail whip to the back, flying into the snow. Arik sliced the dragon with his Knight-Enchanter’s sword, making it back away while Solas scrambled up.

“Are you alright?”

“I’ll be fine!” Solas sent a fade punch at the dragon and Arik rushed back into the fray. 

 

By the time that dragon went down Arik was rubbing his arms, shifting from foot to foot. Maybe he SHOULD have brought warmer clothes. 

  
“We’ll head back to camp to restock on potions, then head for the last one.” 

Everyone agreed. 

 

Solas rubbed his back was they walked, but refused to see a healer before they took out the last dragon.

 

It was cold. 

 

Arik didn’t remember most of that last battle. He remembered it was cold, colder than he’d ever been. And then hotter than he’d ever been- burning, hurting. 

 

They found the dragon in another of the spire ruins, but this one was deep down in a pit. They didn’t see a way down- so Arik jumped.

 

He didn’t remember much after that. He remembered spells flying,  _ people  _ flying, him flying. He remembered claws, teeth, fire and fire and fire…

 

He was in bed now, in Skyhold. He was wrapped in warm blankets, warm cloths over his ears, braces on his legs. Dorian laid beside him. Dorian, who had never looked worse, battered and burned, exhausted. 

 

Arik thought Dorian must have carried him back (or worse, Cassandra), because he didn’t recall walking. He didn’t think he could have walked, the way his legs ached now. 

There was a guard at the door- more to keep Dorian and Arik in than anyone out. 

 

Arik slept a lot, and when he dreamed he saw the fight. Ice around them and fire from the dragon’s mouth. Standing under it and swinging the enchanted sword hilt, moving too slow when the teeth came down on his arm. 

 

Solas standing over him covering him in green healing light, again and again. 

 

Dorian’s necromancy, raising his spirit from his prone body and racing to Arik’s side while he was cornered by drakes. 

 

Cassandra’s shield, flames bouncing off it.

 

He never felt rested, when he saw these things. He must have hit his head sometime during the battle, but he felt the exhaustion to his bones. How long had they been fighting that dragon? How many times did Arik and his friends fall unconscious at it’s feet.

 

Arik pressed closer to Dorian, who was still asleep. He winced at the touch and Arik backed off again. 

 

Dorian. 

 

He shouldn’t have brought Dorian. 

 

Yes, Arik fought alongside Dorian often. Their chemistry together showed on the field, they always knew what the other would do, how they would move, where they needed to be.

It made sense to take someone he worked so well with to fight a creature of unknown strength.

 

But he shouldn’t have brought Dorian. He should have demanded Dorian stay behind. 

 

Arik was not morally against any magic, he knew it all had it’s place and it’s uses. But he hated Dorian’s necromancy. It terrified him. The raised spirits and zombies of slain beasts and enemies, Arik could take. A spirit image of Dorian’s own soul, fighting while his body was on the ground in the snow?

It terrified him.

 

Dorian could have died.

 

The other fights, yes they were all dangerous. But Arik had always been confident. They had always gotten out ok. Bruised and scraped maybe, but there was never a doubt they would make it alive.

 

Arik doubted then. He closed his eyes again and saw Dorian on the ground, unmoving. The snow underneath him darkening with blood. Arik tried to run to him, to heal him, only to be thrown back into the stone. The dragon stood over his body and roared. 

 

Arik couldn’t get to him.

 

He was dying.

 

Arik pushed the blankets and wet cloths off of him. He was too hot. He was burning, there was fire---

  
“Amatus, wake up!” Arik opened his eyes and saw Dorian holding him. Dorian, who was alive. Dorian who was hurt, and burned, and worse for wear.. But alive. “It’s alright, it’s over now.” He said gently, and Arik laid back.

 

“* _ Ma’lath, ar sil ar laim ma... _ ” Arik muttered. Dorian kissed his head. 

“You’re tired. I’m tired. Just rest with me.” Dorian said. He pulled Arik close, ignoring the pressure on his burns and wounds. Arik laid his head on his chest.

 

He heard Dorian’s heartbeat.

 

Arik could finally rest.

 

\-----

 

* _ My love, I thought I lost you  _

**Author's Note:**

> You can find Arik at ddragontales.tumblr.com


End file.
